MODULE 3

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

SYLLABUS

 Introduction to Disaster risk management, Core elements of Disaster Risk

Management.

 Phases of Disaster Risk Management, Measures for Disaster Risk Reduction.

 Measures for Disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness.

 Disaster response- objectives, requirements. Disaster response planning; types of

responses.

 Introduction- Disaster Relief, Relief; international relief organizations.

I.INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

 Disaster risk management is a structured approach to manage uncertainty and potential
adverse impacts from a natural hazard event, through a process of risk assessment and the
development of strategies and specific actions to control and reduce risks.
 It is systematic, institutionalised, and covers both strategic and operational issues related
to reducing vulnerability and exposure to hazards while increasing coping and response
capacity.
 Risk management is about dealing with uncertainty
 The purpose of disaster risk management is to prevent, reduce or transfer the adverse
effects of hazards.
 It comprises prevention, mitigation and preparedness

CORE ELEMENTS/PHASES OF DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT (UNIV QSTN)

Disaster Risk Management Framework

In this framework, the disaster risk management process (cycle) comprises the following
main elements:
1. Risk Identification and assessment
2. Prevention and Mitigation.
3. Preparedness.
4. Recovery

1. Risk identification and assessment: This involves determining and analysing the
potential, origin, characteristics and behaviour of the hazard – e.g. frequency of
occurrence/magnitude of consequences.
2. Application of risk reduction measures in mitigation: Planning and implementation of
structural interventions (e.g. dams, sea defence) or non-structural measures such as disaster
legislation.
3. Disaster preparedness and emergency management: Activities and measures taken in
advance to ensure effective response to the impact of a hazard, including measures related to
timely and effective warnings as well as evacuation and emergency planning.
4. Recovery/Reconstruction: Decisions and actions taken in the post-disaster
phase with a view to restoring the living conditions of the affected population.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE
II. DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
 The practice of reducing the risk of a disaster through systematic efforts.
 It includes analysing and managing casual factors affecting disasters.
 Factors affecting the disaster include exposure to hazards, vulnerability of people and
property, improved preparedness etc…
MEASURES FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (IMP)
The following measures should be taken for disaster risk reduction:
1. Governance
2. Risk identification, assessment, monitoring and early warning
3. Knowledge management and education
4. Reducing underlying risk factors
5. Preparedness for effective response and recovery.

1. GOVERNANCE:
 Governance, as defined by UNDP, is the exercise of political, economic and
administrative authority in the management of a country's affairs at all levels.
 Governance is the umbrella under which disaster risk reduction takes place.
 The existence of public awareness, political will and sufficient capacity are key to making
disaster risk reduction (DRR) an underlying principle in all relevant development sectors.
 With its significant experience in DRR, democratic governance, and development, UNDP
is taking forward the practical and conceptual work on DRR governance and
mainstreaming.
 Governance influences the way in which national and sub-national actors (including
governments, parliamentarians, public servants, the media, the private sector, and civil
society organizations) are willing and able to coordinate their actions to manage and reduce
disaster-related risk.
 Good governance include broad participation, transparency, accountability, efficiency and
responsiveness.
2. RISK IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, MONITORING AND EARLY WARNING
 Risk identification (RI) is a set of activities that detect, and identifies all potential risks
that could have a negative impact.
 It includes identifying the amount of exposure and vulnerability of a disaster.
 Assessment is the process of identifying potential hazards and analyse what could happen
if a hazard occurs. It is the estimation of expected losses during a hazard
 Monitoring is a continual process of measuring effectiveness of a risk.it contribute to the
organisational and global body of knowledge about what works, what does not work and
why. Knowledge gained through monitoring and evaluation should be a core part of risk
reduction.
 Early Warning will provide prior signals for the people for preparing against a disaster.

3. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION

 Knowledge management is a process of sharing information within an organization and
spread among the peoples.
 It is the process of acquiring information about a hazard from higher authorities and taking
preparedness prior to the hazard.
 It can be done through awareness classes.

4. PREPAREDENESS FOR EFFECTIVE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

 Disaster preparedness involves the knowledge and practices developed by governments,
communities and recovery organisations for effectively responding and recovering from
the impacts of hazard.
 Components of a Comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Strategy:
The essential elements include the following:

-based disaster preparedness

III. DISASTER PREVENTION

 Disaster Prevention is defined as those activities taken to prevent a natural phenomenon or
potential hazard from having harmful effects on either people or economic assets.
 Disaster prevention refers to measures taken to eliminate the root causes that make people
vulnerable to disaster
MEASURES FOR DISASTER PREVENTION:
There are two measures for preventing a disaster
1. Structural measures
2. Non-structural measures.
1. Structural measures
 Structural measures includes all the engineering knowledge for preventing a disaster
 E.g.: flood wall, base isolation techniques.
2. Non-structural measures
 It includes the awareness class prior to a disaster.
 Raising awareness about potential hazards and how to address them
 Educating the public about how to properly prepare for different types of disaster
 Installing and strengthening prediction and warning systems

THE BASIS OF DISASTER PREVENTION

 For disaster prevention to be successful, a priori planning is required. Planning of
prevention hinges on two (2) issues:
Hazard Identification (identifying the actual threats facing a community) and
Vulnerability Assessment (evaluating the risk and capacity of a community to handle the
consequences of the disaster).
 While natural hazards cannot be prevented, human-made hazards such as those associated
with industries, technological failures and pollution can be prevented.
 Although the literature sometimes uses prevention and mitigation synonymously, there is
conceptual difference between the two terminologies.
 Prevention has more to do with prohibiting man-made hazards such as chemical
accidents, household fires, etc., which are caused by human activities, errors or
insufficient precautionary actions.
 However, mitigation and preparedness are considered as key measures of risk reduction
for natural hazards.

IV. DISASTER MITIGATION

 It refers to a set of measures to reduce or neutralise the impact of natural hazards by limiting
the vulnerability.
 Primary mitigation refers to reducing the resistance of the hazard and reducing
vulnerability.

 Secondary mitigation refers to reducing the effects of the hazard (preparedness).

OBJECTIVES OF DISASTER MITIGATION:

The primary objectives of disaster mitigation are two (2) fold, namely hazard likelihood
reduction and risk consequence reduction.
Hazard likelihood reduction
 This objective is only appropriate for a few natural hazards, as it is not possible to reduce
the occurrence of many hazards.
 Eg:, the likelihood of floods occurrence can be reduced by mitigation measures such as
sea defence walls.
Risk consequence reduction
 This is a reduction in the impact of a hazard, via a reduction in exposure and/or
vulnerability.
 It involves ensuring that the population, structures, or other systems are able to withstand
such an event with as few negative consequences as possible.
 An example is the construction of the erosion-resistant sea defence wall in Keta, Volta
Region of Ghana
 In reducing both hazard likelihood and risk consequence, the primary aim is to decrease
risk of death and injury to the population.

MITIGATION MEASURES BY ECOSYSTEM:

 Structural and non-structural disaster mitigation measures are mainly carried out by
human beings. However, nature through ecosystem functions also provides several
mitigation measures as shown in Table.
V.DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Disaster preparedness involves the knowledge and practices developed by governments,
communities and recovery organisations for effectively responding and recovering from the
impacts of hazard.
 Components of a Comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Strategy: (IMP)
The essential elements include the following:

mechanisms and strategies

-based disaster preparedness

VI.DISASTER RESPONSE
 Disaster responses are the set of activities taken during a disaster or immediately
following a disaster, directed towards saving life and protecting property.
 The activities that deal with the effect of disaster may include medical care, evacuation,
Search and rescue, provision of emergency water, food and shelter, debris removal and
stabilisation of unsafe buildings and landforms.
 It is the second phase of the disaster management cycle.
 Objectives of Disaster Response: (IMP)
 Aimed at providing immediate assistance to maintain life, improve health and support
the affected population.
 Focused at meeting the basic needs of the people until more permanent and sustainable
solutions can be found.
 Preparedness for the first and immediate response is referred to as “emergency
preparedness”
 Factors affecting Disaster Response:
 The type of disaster
 The ability to take pre-impact actions
 The severity and magnitude of disaster
 The capability of sustained operations
 Identification of likely response requirements
 Requirements for Effective Response
 Information and resources are two essential requirements for effective response.
a) Information
 An early warning system provides vital information for effective response operation
despite the unpredictability of some disaster events.
 An effective warning system must be robust to transmit warnings as early as
practicable.
 Information gained from these systems could help in the planning and decision making
as well as inform the general public.
b) Resources
 Resources form an essential component of disaster response.
 The need for disaster management organisations to be resource ready cannot be over
emphasised considering the untimely occurrence of disasters, which most often is on
short notice.
 The ability to mobilise the needed resources on short notice is most often hampered by
many factors. Its effect on systems gives little room for procrastination of actions.
VII.DISASTER RESPONSE PLANNING
 Disaster management requires a carefully drawn response plan which is often prepared
in anticipation of emergency and activated in times of urgency.
  The response plan as a component of the disaster management plan includes ways of
managing human and financial resources, response to supplies availability and
communication procedures.
 This involves identifying, strengthening, and organising resources and capacities for
timely and effective response to a potential disaster.
 In disaster response planning, roles and responsibilities are defined, policies and
procedures are developed and generic tools for responses are identified and
developed.
 The response plan is developed based on assumptions of risks and hazards, and does
not address specific disaster scenarios - as is the case for contingency plans.
 Plans thus, must be monitored, evaluated and adapted to the specific situation in times
of disaster.
VIII.TYPES OF RESPONSES (IMP)
Disaster response actions are classified into 10 types:
1. Search and rescue
2. First aid and emergency medical care
3. Evacuation
4. Evacuation centre management
5. Development of Standard Operation Procedure (SOPs)
6. Immediate repair of community facilities and services
7. Relief Aid
8. Coordination and Communication
9. Psycho-social counselling and stress debriefing
10. Medical services.

1. Search and rescue

 This activity is usually conducted by well-trained volunteers in finding disaster victims,
that is, lost, sick or injured persons in either a remote to access areas such as water
bodies, desert, forest or probably in the course of mass population movement.
 The search and rescue operations are often directed at, locating endangered persons at
an emergency incident, removing those persons from danger, treating the injured, and
providing for transport to an appropriate health care facility.
Basic Key Steps of Search and Rescue:
The basic steps are:
1. Size up - involves assessing the situation and determining what one is going to do and if yes,
then how. The decision whether to attempt a rescue should be based on:
a. The risks involved; and
b. formation of each volunteer teams.
2. Search - involves locating victims and documenting their location.
3. Rescue - involves the procedures and methods of moving victims to safety.

2. First aid and emergency medical care

 First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury.
 It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured
person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed.
 Emergency medical care is immediate paramedic attention to severe wounds and the
rapid transportation of the ill or injured to a health facility.
3. Evacuation
 Evacuation is an organised movement of people from an area at risk to a safer place.
 Types of Evacuation:
Precautionary evacuation before disaster
Protective evacuation after disaster
Evacuations for reconstruction purposes
 Services provided during evacuations include:
 Registration
 Assistance with financial and legal queries
 Water, food, clothing
 Rest areas
 Blankets and personal items
 Interpreter services
 Assistance in contacting family/friends
 Services for animals
 Emergency financial assistance
 First aid, medical and health
 Information
4. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
 SOPs are the set of standard procedures which could guide the team in effective
operation.
 SOPs specify the way in which individuals or units will carry out their functions
under the plan
 It consist of 4 stages:
1) During normal times
2) Alert/warning and
3) During disaster
4) Rehabilitation
During Normal Times:
 Formulate and distribute disaster preparedness plans
 Produce maps of Wards/Village Tracts showing areas most vulnerable to disasters.
 Make a list of vehicles and motor boats that can be used for emergency work
 Create shelters and safe locations for use during disasters
 Conduct educational talks on natural disasters and rehearse periodically for the local
community
 Provide organising and training activities.

Alert/warning stage:
 Dissemination of news obtained through early warning systems to the community.
 Administrative bodies and NGOs to fly warning flags in the vulnerable areas of the
Ward/Village Tract.
 Alert and mobilise members of the Security services, Auxiliary Fire Brigade,
communication agencies, the Red Cross, Youth, members of People’s Strength and
NGOs.
 Make the necessary arrangements to evacuate the public to safe locations
During Disaster Stage:
 Safeguard the road and water transport routes
 Evacuate the community from vulnerable areas to safe locations
 Operate relief camps and supervisory centres
 Keep available relief and aid supplies at the ready to launch relief operations quickly
and effectively
  Make arrangements to evacuate movable property including cattle to designated
locations
 Ensure that administrative personnel and NGOs in areas vulnerable to disaster and give
disaster warnings door to door.

During Rehabilitation Stage:

 Conduct field inspections in affected areas as soon as possible and provide the
necessary assistance and support.
 Make arrangements to provide health care and social protection to disaster victims.
 Clear collapsed buildings and trees as quickly as possible;
 restoration of transportation, electricity and water supply and telephone and telegraph
services as soon as possible.
 reclaim contaminated wells and ponds for access to clean water and dig new wells for
drinking water.
 Submit immediate preliminary reports with population figures, death and injury figures
of cattle and animals, data on socio-economic losses, etc.. to get appropriate funds.
 Manage and systematically utilise disaster funds and supplies, as well as cash and
supplies donated by well-wishers, social organisations and NGOs

5. Relief Aid
 provision of assistance during an emergency that is meant to attend to a person’s
immediate requirements for survival or recovery
 It may include food,clothing, housing, medical care, necessary social services and
security.
 Relief aid must be targeted at the most vulnerable first: Vulnerable children or orphans,
females, pregnant women, sick or elderly populations.
6. Coordination and Communication
 Good coordination and communication is crucial for combining resources effectively
and efficiently, in order to reach the disaster-affected more rapidly.
 It contributes to better cooperation, reduces the level of duplication and helps to ensure
a well-organised operation.
 Meetings - Plan to hold regular meetings with Movement partners to determine
activities and roles;
  Information management - Information sharing on disaster impact, assessment and
needs through input into DMIS (Disaster Management Information System).

7. Psychosocial support:
 During a disaster, many may lose not only properties, but also dear ones which cause
negative psychological outcomes.
 Psychosocial support activities include identifying and referring individuals requiring
specialised support through professional mental health services.
8. Public health services:
The public health services required in responding to disasters include:

(HIV, TB, Leprosy, etc.)

.
.

IX.DISASTER RELIEF
 Relief refers to the provision of essential, appropriate and timely humanitarian assistance
to those affected by a disaster
 It is defined as the provision of assistance during or immediately after a disaster to meet
the life preservation and basic needs of those people affected.
 Relief, as a disaster management process, provides timely essential needs such as basic
household items, shelter, food, water and sanitation, or health items.
 Relief activities provide goods and services to disaster-affected populations in the form of
supplies, vouchers or cash transfers, so as to enable those populations to cover their
essential needs.
 Relief measures differ, depending upon the nature of disaster.
 At certain occasions, money may have no value, but certain articles like food, clothes, etc.
may be more important.
 Principles guiding Relief (IMP)
 Response to disasters must have humanitarian imperative.
 Aid is provided based on needs alone and must be done without discrimination of any
kind (race, creed or nationality of the recipients).
 Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.
 Aid agencies do not to act as instruments of government foreign policy.
 That culture and custom are respected in response and relief activities.
 Disaster response is built on local capacities.
 Ways be are developed to involve programme beneficiaries in the management of relief
aid.
 Relief aid would reduce future vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meeting basic needs.
 Accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from who we accept resources.
 Information, publicity and advertising activities shall recognise disaster victims as
dignified human beings and not hopeless objects.

 Project Cycle Management Linked to Relief

 The project cycle management (PCM) is a conceptual tool used for the planning and
management of programmes and projects leading to the improvement of programme
effectiveness and outcome.
 It consist of 5 components:
1) Assessment
2) Planning & Designing
3) Implementation
4) Monitoring
5) Review and Evaluation
1.Assessment
 The first step after the onset of a disaster is to assess the origin, magnitude and effect of
the disaster on the affected population so as to be able to identify humanitarian needs and
plan possible interventions.
 The purpose of an assessment, therefore, is to ascertain the need for an intervention based
on identified needs.
 This is done to identify the problem, its source and consequences.
 There are four (4) types of assessments that are usually conducted during disasters.

a) Immediate assessments
 Conducted within 72 hours after the disaster.
 It is generally conducted by in country actors and involves the collection of basic disaster
information.
b) Rapid assessments
 Conducted immediately after the disaster and take up to a week.
 These involve gathering of information on the needs and existing capacities of the
affected population.
c) Detailed assessments
 Conducted after rapid assessments to obtain further information on the affected
population’s needs and capacities for programme planning.
 They can take up to a month to conduct, more or less depending on the area, the
complexity of the issues and resources available.
d) Continual assessments
 Conducted once the detailed assessment has been completed and relief programmes are
running.
 They update information on the situation and involve beneficiaries for recovery
programming.
2. Planning/Design
 The planning and design process is critical to a relief operation as it helps to set out in
clear stages what the operation will do.
 It also determines how progress and results will be monitored and defines the duration of
relief activities.
 The planning process describes the steps and order to undertake when planning relief
interventions.
 This phase is aimed at defining the desired future situation of the affected population and
to determining the objectives, strategies and activities needed to achieve it
2. Implementation
 The implementation phase is when the activities are carried out to achieve the desired
results.
 The implementation of relief activities is conducted once the assessment and the planning
processes are completed.
 This may include the mobilisation and distribution activities.

 SOME INTERNATIONAL RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS: (UNIV 3 MARK)

1. Action Against Hunger (AAH),
2. Catholic Relief Services, (CRS - USCC),
3. Food For The Hungry International (FHI),
4. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
5. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
6. International Organisation For Migration (IOM)
7. International Rescue Committee (IRC),
8. Save the Children
9. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF),
10. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR),
11. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(UNOCHA),
12. US Committee for Refugees (USCR),